I swear I wasn’t going to do this. I wasn’t going to stuff something inside of something else. It was too trendy. And then, not trendy at all. (Neither of which I’m actually about, anyway.)

But I succumbed to the pressure of a college kid who just finished finals. A college kid who squeaked with excitement when she exhaled the love she had for these s’mores stuffed chocolate chip cookies in a quick and breathless sentence. I told her that the only conditions I had to making them was that the graham cracker and cookie dough had to be homemade. And frankly, if we had put a little forethought into this, the marshmallows would have been too. She had no issues with my conditions.

S’mores stuffed into thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies. A total diet/healthy lifestyle buster. But damn, it’s worth it. I’ve gone on a few times about how magical my favorite cookie dough recipe is and it just stands to reason that I would have chosen it for these giant creations as well. Yesterday I posted about homemade graham crackers and yup, we used that recipe too. The deeply flavored brown sugar graham crackers were an outstanding choice to use here and they certainly didn’t get lost amid the gobs of cookie. Of course, the marshmallows and Hershey’s chocolate bars (is there no better option for s’mores?) melted into everything and admittedly, there were a few nerve wracking minutes of watching the conversion from cookie brick to enormous cookie rounds as all of the components settled into each other in the oven.

But alas, perfection. Gooey s’mores nestled into my favorite chocolate chip cookie. At nearly 6 inches a piece, you’ll probably need a friend to help you finish off these monsters (and at least a couple glasses of milk) but since there is so much cookie to go around, sharing shouldn’t be an issue. Or, I supposed you could just make them smaller for single servings, but where’s the fun in that?

So there. I went there and now I’m sharing it with you. It’s a holiday weekend – go celebrate!

I made my own graham crackers for these s'mores stuffed cookies, but you can certainly use store-bought crackers if you're pressed for time or you know, not crazy like me. You'll need 4 approximately 1 1/2" by 3" pieces which for store-bought graham crackers means half of a graham square. If you decide to make your own graham crackers (go for it!), cut them to fit. This recipe yields 4 gigantic cookies. Feel free to double the recipe or make smaller cookies by using smaller graham crackers and just half of a marshmallow for each cookie.

1 full-size Hershey's bar, divided between each of the prospective cookies

Instructions

To make the cookie dough: Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined - the batter should look a little lumpy. Stir in chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 325° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

To assemble and bake: Lay half of the graham crackers out on the baking sheets - two crackers per sheet. Top each cracker with 3-4 pieces of chocolate then top the chocolate with two marshmallow halves, laying them side-by-side. Lay the remaining graham crackers on top of the assemble s'mores. Sandwich the s'mores between two large spoonfuls of cookie dough and using the remaining dough to wrap around each of the s'mores; the result should resemble a small cookie brick.

Space the cookies at least 4 inches apart on the two baking sheets. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until the tops and edges are lightly browned and the edges just lift off the pan with a spatula. (While baking, the s'mores will press down under the weight of the cookie dough and will sink further while cooling. Don't worry if the cookies don't end up completely covering the s'mores - it only adds to the charm here.) Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and cool the cookies on the sheets for at least 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to the wire racks and cool for another 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Oh those horrible teenage years with a mouth full of braces. Eating Oreos was devastatingly embarrassing. The time I got hit in the mouth with a softball trying to tag out a stealing runner at 3rd base was a pretty horrific event. And for me, it always seemed like the two days following the orthodontic visits where my braces were tightened were worse than dealing with teenage-PMS. Imagine when they occurred together?!

Yet, I had a solace aside from the inordinate amount of Advil I consumed during those years: mush. Broken up graham crackers soaked in a bowl of ice cold milk. To the unfamiliar “palate” it probably sounds horrible. But when your mouth hurts so much to even close your jaw, you’ll try almost anything. I hated Carnation. Smoothies were almost unheard of in my neck of the woods (bagel- and egg sandwich-centric Long Island) and yogurt wasn’t considered a full breakfast for an active teenager in my house. This mush is actually what my mom ate when she had braces and I fell in love with it.

But I won’t go on and on about the mush. It’s my general love for graham crackers that made me want to try a homemade version for so long. I don’t typically buy them any more unless I need to make a crust for a cheesecake so it’s been a true delight having a stack of fresh graham crackers at home…and that include a list of ingredients that I can pronounce. This version uses all dark brown sugar (that’s why they are so dark in the photos – I didn’t burn them) which really helps to develop a deep caramel-ish flavor in the grahams. After cooling, they crisp up perfectly and can be eaten as they are (I love a schmear of peanut butter on them), ground down into crumbs for crusts, broken up to mix into strawberry cheesecake ice cream, or used for homemade s’mores (more on that soon). I haven’t tried them soaked in milk yet, but maybe that’s in my future this weekend…you know, for old time’s sake.

Feel free to cut the graham cracker dough into any shape you want – this would be a crazy-fun project with kids using a variety of different cookie cutters. If you want to make large rectangular, authentic graham crackers, cut the dough out in your desired size and right before baking, gently score across the center of the dough horizontally with a knife or stainless dough scraper. The graham crackers will break easily and cleanly in half at the scored mark once cooled. Ingredients:

7 oz all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

6 oz graham flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1 cup (16 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

3 tbsp honey

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

To make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and honey on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough comes together, about 30 seconds. At this point, the dough will look crumbly but when squeezed between your fingers, it will form together. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap, form it into a 7×7-inch square, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. This can be done up to 5 days in advance. Before proceeding, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before attempting to roll.

To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick and using a pizza cutter or cookie cutter, cut out the dough into 3×3-inch squares (or your desired shape), re-rolling the scraps and cutting additional cookies. Transfer the cut dough to the baking sheets, spacing each about 3/4-inch apart; keep the dough chilled before baking to prevent them from spreading.

With a lightly floured fork, prick the tops of each piece of dough a few times to prevent them from puffing up, then sprinkle the tops with the sugar-cinnamon mixture. (Leftover mixture can be stored in an airtight container for future use.)

Bake for 15-18 minutes (adjusting the time by 1-2 minutes depending on the size of the cookies you choose to make), rotating the sheets after 10 minutes, until the graham crackers are dark golden brown and are just firm to the touch. Cool on the sheets on wire racks for 2 minutes then transfer them to the racks to cool completely; the graham crackers will crisp as they cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

I love it when an idea comes together. When what I’ve been dreaming up in my head turns out just how I pictured it. That was these lemon cupcakes. I had made this recipe as full-on lemon poppy cake a few years back for a girlfriend’s baby shower and have since wanted to remake the recipe not only to share with all of you (because it’s pretty awesome) but also because I’ve always thought a cupcake version would be perfectly delightful.

And I was right. The lemon cupcakes are soft-crumbed clouds with a dollop of fresh raspberry curd running through the center, topped with a billowy mound of the fluffiest lemon buttercream I’ve ever eaten. The cupcakes themselves are sturdy and soft at the same time, a cupcake trait not always easy to achieve, and they were able to withstand a hollowed-out the center for the curd and the frosting on top without falling into pieces after the first couple of bites. Of course flavor-wise, berries and citrus are a match made in heaven and even though you’d like to think that these cupcakes would be too lemony and tart between the cake and the frosting, the bright raspberry curd keeps perfect balance. Of course, some sugar helps with this balance as well.

You’ll cone-out the center of each cupcake and add some of your very own, homemade raspberry curd (don’t cut corners and buy it!), a treat worth licking the spoon for in and of itself. If you’ve never made curd before, it’s quite a simple process which involves straining out all of the seeds so you’re left with a thick and silky sweet condiment that can be spread onto biscuits or scones, drizzled over ice cream, or used however else you can dream up. It’s a lovely and necessary component to these cupcakes and I wouldn’t skip making it.

The verdict from Kyle, the non-lemon-loving heathen that he is, was clearly indicated by the random wrappers I’ve found around the kitchen. One or two before I get home from work…another one while I’m making dinner…you get the point. We both adore these lemon cupcakes and I know you will too. In fact, I love them so much that I’m contributing them to Celebrations.com Memorial Day Virtual Blogger Potluck Party that I’ve been invited to. Have a look on Celebrations (link below) to see the party as a whole and be sure to stop by the other awesome bloggers’ blogs to see what they brought to the party as well.

To make the raspberry curd: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the raspberries, egg yolks, sugar and salt, and cook, mashing the berries. Stir frequently at first and then constantly at the end, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour the mixture through a coarse strainer set over a bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Cool to room temperature; the curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Stir in lemon juice to taste. Cover and refrigerate until fully chilled. The curd can be made 2-3 days in advance.

To make the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. In the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium-high. Beat just until stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted. Transfer the egg whites to a separate bowl (not plastic), clean and dry the mixer bowl and reattach it with the paddle attachment.

Add the butter to the mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat until incorporated. Mix in the lemon zest. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in ¼ cup of the milk until just blended. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the remaining milk in three batches, beginning and ending with the flour; scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat until just blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold one quarter of the egg whites into the batter, being careful not to deflate the mixture. Once incorporated, add in the rest of the whites (including any liquid that may have accumulated on the bottom of the bowl) and gently fold in until well combined; no white should remain.

Using a large cookie/ice cream scoop, divide the batter between the cupcake liners, filling each liner about 2/3 full. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-22 minutes, turning the pans around halfway through the baking time. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes then remove them from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and zest on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the heavy cream and lemon juice and beat for one minute longer; the frosting should be light and fluffy.

To assemble: Once the cupcakes have cooled, hollow out the center of each cupcake using the cone method and spoon about 1 tsp of raspberry curd in to each hollowed-out cupcake. The filling should sit just shy of the top of the cupcake. Frost as desired, taking care not to push the curd out of the cupcake with the weight of the frosting. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Serve and store at room temperature, though the frosting will soften significantly at temperatures above 75° F.

Lately, I feel like my brain has been working in overdrive. Since moving, I’ve been working on changing a few things around here. Where dishes used to sit in the sink for a day (or two…ok, I’m being generous here), a little extra conscientiousness and some rubber gloves go a long way. Laundry gets folded within 2 days of being washed. My commute is an extra 10 minutes in the morning now and I’m busting my butt every morning to get to my new job on time. I’m chronically late for just about everything in my life and frankly, I’m tired of feeling like I’m always stopping to catch my breath, literally and figuratively.

I hate my shortcomings. I know I’m not a fabulous “housewife” but I know I’m able to make lots of other contributions to our little family aside from just my paycheck. Like this pizza. Thinly sliced flank steak, shaved asparagus, crumbled Gorgonzola, and a béchamel sauce base. It’s pretty much the best [non-breakfast] pizza we’ve eaten in ages. And it really came about because in my typical frazzled manner one morning a few weeks ago, I forgot to take the pork chops out of the freezer for dinner. I called Kyle at home to take them out (he was off from work that day) and I came home that afternoon to find thawed flank steak. Silly boy.

So out of my stewing about the flank steak not being pork chops, I wrapped my brain around the idea of this pizza. And since I’m not one to toot my own horn [too often], I’ll just say that you’ll thank me after making this. Set atop your favorite pizza dough, you’ll love how the ingredients all come together almost as if it’s a dinner at a pricey steakhouse. The flank steak is tender, the fresh asparagus adds a little bitterness, the Gorgonzola (and some mozzarella) melts all over just like a decadent Gorgonzola sauce over filet mignon, and the béchamel sauce base is rich and silky. Basically, this steak, shaved asparagus, and gorgonzola pizza is perfection.

Preheat oven to 500° F with a clean pizza stone on the center rack of the oven for 30 minutes.

To make the bechamel sauce: Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Whisk in the milk until no lumps remain. Toss in the garlic and bring the milk to a simmer, stirring frequently until it begins to bubble and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the garlic and off the heat, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

To assemble and bake the pizza: Once the stone is properly heated, roll the pizza dough out to a 14-inch circle on a well-floured surface. Sprinkle some cornmeal on a pizza peel or wood cutting board and transfer the dough round to the peel or board. Spread the sauce out over the pizza and sprinkle on half of the mozzarella cheese. Lay the steak on the cheese in one layer, spread the shaved asparagus out over the steak, sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella, and add the Gorgonzola.

Remove the stone from the oven and sprinkle some cornmeal on the stone; carefully transfer the pizza to the stone. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Allow the pizza to cool on the stone for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

In 1988, my parents bought a boat. Overall, the boat served us well (in spite of all the money they sunk into it, no pun intended – you know how having a boat goes) and we spent many a weekend for the better part of 10 or 12 summers crammed into my parents’ 25-footer at our favorite little beach on Fire Island. Like camping, feeding a family on a small boat requires a good bit of planning; refrigeration is limited (think dorm-size fridge) or sometimes non-existent except for ice in coolers and if the beach/marina you’re staying at even has water available, your hook-up is done through a garden-like marine hose plugged into the side of the boat. Our showers were made possible by a sun shower that we’d let heat up on the dock all day then hang up on a nail in one of the stalls of the public bathroom to wash away the sand, salt, and sunscreen.

In a semi-distant but totally comforting way, this bacon, egg, and cheese pizza reminds me of Sunday mornings at the beach. For the most part, my mom packed food for breakfast – our electric griddle was king – but on a rare Sunday, after giving in to our pleading and whiny voices (dad included), she would allow my dad (as we were always on a budget) to hit up the snack bar for freshly made-to-order egg sandwiches. He practically floated down the dock on the smell of cooking bacon and sausage wafting over the marina like a cartoon character drawn to his favorite food. Those sandwiches were rare, special, and so satisfying.

This breakfast pizza, being all of those sentiments, admittedly was Kyle’s idea. He gets me. He knows that I find it virtually impossible to find a decent freshly made egg sandwich sandwich (i.e., not microwaved – gross) anywhere near our home. This pizza idea is the brainchild of observing my frustrations all these years and it encompasses all that I [we] love in an excellent egg sandwich. Plus? It’s pizza. So yeah, two of my favorite foods wrapped up in one little package. Like I said, he gets me.

As with any pizza or egg sandwich, feel free to add whatever toppings you want. We went for bacon, Monterey Jack, sautéed onions and peppers, and a whole bunch of fresh herbs. The key to this pizza is to make sure you push the pizza dough up the sides of a baking sheet so that the beaten eggs have a place to stay. It’s almost like making a quiche in that you don’t want the eggs leaking under the crust, else they will make it soft and difficult to remove from the baking sheet. Use a well-seasoned baking sheet if you have one and sprinkle on a little cornmeal before you put the dough down – don’t skip this step. The end result is a something magical: fluffy eggs, salty bacon, tons of freshness from the herbs, crispy pizza crust. It’s pretty much the perfect breakfast pizza and because we made a whole sheet pan of it, we had plenty of leftovers for breakfasts later in the week. I can see this being a great Mother’s Day breakfast project with a kitchen full of kids or even a quick through-together breakfast-for-dinner kind of meal during the week. Either way, this breakfast pizza is a big winner here: it evokes great memories for me and fills our bellies at the same time.

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Pizzasource: Smells Like Home original recipe

1/2 large onion and 1/2 bell pepper, sliced and sauteed in olive oil until soften, about 8 minutes

2 green onions/scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, stems removed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Sprinkle a little cornmeal on the bottom of a 12″ x 18″ baking sheet. Roll or stretch the dough out to an approximately 14 x 18 inch rectangle (the dough will be thin so take care not to rip it). Drape the dough into the pan, stretching it out to and up the sides of the pan. Using a fork, prick the dough 10 or 12 times to reduce bubbling when baking.

Carefully pour the eggs over the dough (don’t let the eggs overflow), scatter half of the cheese, then the bacon, peppers and onions, and the remaining cheese. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Sprinkle the herbs over the hot pizza before slicing and serving.

Before seeing queso fundido posted here and there around the interwebs in the past few months, I don’t ever remember previously coming across it. Not on a restaurant menu or in a cookbook, in magazines, or on blogs. And even though the recipe was completely new to me, I knew I’d love it. I mean…it starts with queso and damn, I know that means cheese. I have no idea what fundido means but doesn’t it sound like a happy word?? (Actually, according to my Google search – go figure – it means molten or melted.)

And omgosh, this is a happy cheese dip. Smoky chorizo (thanks for the suggestion, Annie!) is mixed in with handfuls of cheese and more of the usual Tex-Mex suspects: onion, tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro. The chorizo actually cuts through all the cheese and adds a bit of needed “heft” to the dip. It’s a glorious combination of ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to pull together. And it was gone almost as quickly. Along with nearly an entire bag of chips. Salads really do pay off when dinner looks like this one. Our dip did turn out just a little runny and I’m pretty sure it’s because of the excess liquid from chorizo so make sure you drain it off before adding the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño. But honestly, this didn’t detract from the cheesy goodness at all. The recipe calls for “Mexican melting cheese” (see the recipe below) of which I could not find during my change-of-dinner-plans-on-whim grocery store trip, though I’m sure stores like Whole Foods or ethnic food marts definitely carry one of them. If you’re still planning out a menu for Cinco de Mayo on Saturday, add this one to it…otherwise, this queso fundido with chorizo works just as perfectly with a beer for dinner in front of the baseball game on a random weeknight.

Heat the oil in an 8- or 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes; drain off most of the liquid. Add the tomato, onion, and jalapeño and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften and brown, about 7 minutes. Add the tequila (if using) and cook, stirring, until reduced to a glaze.

Sprinkle in the cheese. Stir slowly and constantly until just melted then stir in the cilantro. Serve immediately in a warm dish with chips for dipping.

I start off most of my mornings with a cup of coffee. Sometimes I make it at home. Sometimes it’s on the run on the way to work or on the way home from the gym, which happens before work and usually involves a LOT of rushing around. But it’s part of my routine and even though I look like a whirling dervish most mornings on my way out the door (like this morning when I dropped my laptop in an effort to muscle my way through the door at 6:30am with my purse, work bag, gym bag, and laptop bag strung over my arms), I’m happy with my little routine.

My afternoon routine is much more serene. Come home, make dinner, relax…except on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I meet with my trainer at 4:00. By the time I pull myself into the house, it’s all I can do to move. She’s insane. So it’s those nights where throwing a simple meal together or reheating leftovers works best. These baked burritos serve both purposes. On the table in about half an hour and filled to the brim with Tex-Mex-y ground chicken and black beans, this meal rejuvenates my weary body. The sour cream-poblano sauce is spicy and cool at the same time and it’s a genius sauce since it reheats perfectly for leftovers. And speaking of leftovers, these burritos reheat like champs. The recipe yields 4-5 large burritos so you can bake all of them then reheat leftovers quickly in the microwave and throw them in the oven to crisp up the tortillas. It’s pretty much my favorite meal from over the past few weeks and I may even make a big batch this weekend to have in the freezer at the ready on those crazy kinds of days.

Preheat the oven to 400º F and spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

To make the burritos: Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and then add the oil. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 3-5 minutes until they begin to soften. Place the ground chicken in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned. (At this point, drain any excess fat if necessary/desired). Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 30-60 seconds before adding in the beans. Add the water or broth, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne, brown sugar and salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon). Reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Place 2 tablespoons of the cheese at the end of each tortilla (depending on size) and then spoon some of the beef and bean mixture over the top. Fold the left and right sides of the tortilla in, and then roll the tortilla up, from the end closest to you, to the top. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet and lightly spray the tops of the burritos with cooking spray. Bake for about 20 minutes, until tortillas are golden brown and crispy.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place the poblanos directly over a gas burner. Using tongs, turn occasionally until skin is blackened on all sides. Place in a bowl and top with plastic wrap or a clean towel, until cook enough to handle. (Alternatively, you can roast the peppers under the broiler until all sides are well-charred.) Peel the peppers, remove the stems and seeds, and dice them.

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter; stir in the flour and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and then the diced poblano; continue to simmer, whisking frequently, until thickened. Stir in the sour cream/yogurt and warm through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce over the baked burritos.